Authors: V.S. Tice
I nodded to William and Amber.
“Yeah, I’ll see you guys soon. I’m heading up in just a minute.” I waved and turned back to Dominic.
“So, how many years?”
“You’re heading up? You aren’t going to stay down here?”
“We’ve been down here for a while, and since it’s my free night, I kind of just wanted to go and relax. You know?” I shrugged.
“Yeah,” I could tell his smile was forced, but then it grew bigger and more genuine, “Unless I convince you to hang out with us for a while longer.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the fire.
“Really, Dominic, I just want to relax,” I argued.
“You can relax with us. We’re just sitting around the fire.” He objected and pulled me closer to him
After uncomfortable introductions, I sat on a large log with Dominic next to me and listened to his family talk. When people started to disperse from the gathering I took it as my opportunity to follow their lead.
“I should really get back.” I climbed to my feet and smiled at Dominic. “Thanks for letting me crash your gathering.”
He popped up quickly. “I’ll walk with you.”
I was going to argue, but the beach was dark and I figured it couldn’t hurt.
“Okay.”
Dominic was talking about himself as we walked down the beach – typical. Finally, I couldn’t take another second of his rambling so I kicked water at him. Shocked, he paused for a moment before an evil grin spread on his face, and he quickly carried me into the water.
“Dominic, don’t!” I screamed but couldn’t help the bursts of laughter bubbling out.
“You started this, Ashwood,” he yelled and threw me into the water.
I resurfaced.
“You ass,” I charged him, shoving him till he fell in.
While he was under, I ran to the shore and started to squeeze excess water out of my long cotton dress. We were both laughing when we reached the wooden stairs.
“Thanks, Dominic,” I hugged him. “It was nice.”
I pulled back and watched his eyes drop to my lips. After the time I’d spent with Dominic, I realized we wouldn’t be anything but friends, ever. I lightly patted his shoulder and quickly turned before he got any ideas. Three steps up, I looked back.
“Good night.”
“Yeah. Good night, Sophia.” He smiled dejectedly and walked back in the direction of the fire.
I sighed, wrung more water from my dress, tied it into a knot at my thigh, and continued with my head down. I stopped short when I realized there was a figure on the first landing. My head snapped up with a quick intake of breath.
“Miss Ashwood.” Dr. Bishop’s tone penetrated my ears and my body.
“Dr. Bishop.” His piercing gaze stilled me. It looked like anger. I swallowed. “Is there something you –?”
“Is this how you behave when you’re with my daughter?” he snapped.
“Excuse me?” Then things fell into place. Dominic, water…
crap
. “You were watching me?” I blurted without thinking.
He stiffened.
That’s a big yes.
“I came out to get some air and just happened to witness…your behavior.” Disgust saturated his words and infuriated me.
“What I do on my personal time is none of your business,” I argued and started to walk by him.
“When it involves my daughter –”
“But it didn’t.” I whirled around. “She wasn’t with me tonight, was she?” It was his turn to receive an icy glare.
He didn’t speak or move.
“Good night, Dr. Bishop,” I stomped toward the house.
The next morning, Dr. Bishop left a message stating he’d taken Victoria down to the park. I enjoyed the idea of him doing something with her. I went down to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat down at the empty breakfast nook off the side kitchen to eat and look out at the ocean. I’m not sure how long I sat there lost in my own head before shouting brought me back to reality.
“What the hell is this?” Dr. Bishop’s voice was harsh, worse than I’d heard before.
“What?” Max exclaimed. “Isn’t that for your custody hearing? It’s from your lawyer’s –”
“This isn’t mine,” he sneered.
Victoria was sitting with Amber and Ryan on the living room couch. I moved toward her.
“What’s going on?” Larissa interjected when Max and Collin appeared in the living room, Jonathan close behind.
“Well, what is it?” Jonathan snapped, irritated.
“What’s all this shouting?” The hypocritical Ilene shouted from the balcony before descending the stairs with Allison in tow.
“This –” Dr. Bishop snapped the papers in his hand. “What’s this about?”
Max grabbed the papers and looked them over.
“Is this for real?”
“What are you two going on about?” Allison grabbed the papers and looked. I watched her face shift from annoyance to anger. “Mother?”
Ilene sighed, defeated, and plopped down into a large overstuffed chair in the living room.
“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Larissa whined. I was afraid to move with all of the tension thickening the air.
“It’s true,” Ilene announced and held her chin up high. My eyes flashed to Allison. Tears were welling and threatening to spill.
“Why in the hell are you and Dad getting a divorce?” Max’s voice was laced with disbelief. Larissa appeared at his side and put her arms around him.
“Perhaps you should talk to your father,” Ilene spat. “He’s the one who filed, not me.”
“But…I don’t understand…you and Dad…” Allison was beginning to sob.
“Why in God’s name would Dad file for divorce?” Dr. Bishop eyed his mother closely.
“Because your father has been seeing another woman for years,” Ilene blurted with years of pent up hurt and anger.
“An-another woman?” Max gasped.
“For years?” Dr. Bishop furrowed his brow.
“Yes, for years,” she answered in her all too familiar high and mighty voice.
“You’ve known for years, but you never –” Larissa started.
“I knew, but our marriage was important.”
It was hard for me to think she stayed simply because her marriage was important. Obviously it wasn’t important to Connor, so why would she stay?
“You allowed him to be with this other woman all these years, and you did nothing?” Allison shrieked.
“Don’t take that tone with me,” she admonished Allison. “You should be talking to your father! I’m not having an affair. I would never do such a thing, especially with such a low –”
“Who is she?” Max asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” A flash of fear passed over Ilene’s face.
“Amber, why don’t we all go into the other room?” I leaned down and whispered. Amber nodded in agreement. We collected the kids, moving toward the kitchen.
“I can’t believe you’ve allowed this for all these years. You just sat by and allowed another woman to break up our family. How could you?” Allison was shrieking.
“Maybe we should go upstairs instead,” I motioned toward the steps.
“Allison, I told you, I have tried to save this marriage. He wanted to leave years ago, but I stopped him. I’ve held on for as long as I could. He wants the divorce,” Ilene yelled as Victoria started up the stairs.
“Who is she?” Allison yelled.
“Al, calm down.” The bastard, Jonathan, actually sounded concerned.
“To hell with you. You’re no better than my father with your damned cheating! Hell, I practically walked in on you screwing Sophia!” She flipped one long pointed fingernail toward me.
My head spun around, eyes widened.
“What?” Dr. Bishop shouted. “What the hell happened between you two?”
“Nothing happened,” Jonathan shouted. “She’s being delusional!”
“Delusional? So was I delusional when we had to get rid of Mary because you were fucking her?” she shouted. “You and Sophia left the house at the same time our first night here. Both of you had guilt written all over your faces.”
How did this go from their parents divorcing to Jonathan and I having an assumed affair? Eww…As if I would let that creepy ass-
“Miss Ashwood?” Dr. Bishop screamed furiously. He rounded the corner into the kitchen. I was standing on the bottom step. “Did you and…were you with…?” His eyes searched me for any kind of answer.
“Of course not,” I spat.
“I told you,” Jonathan seethed, “nothing happened!”
“I don’t believe you for one second!” Allison shouted from the other room.
“What happened?” Dr. Bishop grabbed my arm and pulled me into the conflict. “Did you sleep with Jonathan?”
“No!” I shouted.
“You’re a liar,” Allison snapped, “Like you would admit it!”
“That’s it,” I growled. “You want to know what happened.” Dr. Bishop tensed next to me. “Your skeev husband tried to force himself on me in the hallway before I pinned him to the wall by his arm. I told him to leave me alone. Nothing happened!” I rubbed my face with my hands before plopping down into a chair with a groan.
“You lying bitch!” Allison came toward me, but Dr. Bishop took a defensive position stopping her.
“Jonathan?” Max growled.
“Did you do that?” Larissa gasped. “Is it true?”
“Nothing happened,” Jonathan’s eyes glared hatred in my direction.
“Who is it?” Dr. Bishop repeated the unanswered question to his mother.
Ilene’s eyes filled with tears and one escaped. I thought tears were impossible for the Antichrist’s mother, but obviously I was mistaken. She wiped the tear away and looked into Collin’s eyes.
“Juliet Pierce,” she said in a disgusted tone.
“Who?” Allison looked around for an answer.
“Juliet?” Max gasped. “Th-that’s why she left?” Ilene nodded.
“I thought she left to have her child...? Is her child...?”
Ilene broke down into sobs. Holy crap! Either she was delivering the performance of a lifetime or she actually had feelings.
“Oh. My. God.” Max looked like he was going to hyperventilate.
“We have a brother or sister from their…relationship?” Dr. Bishop spoke robotically.
“Yes. Okay? Yes!” Ilene sobbed.
“Mother –” Max looked like he might get sick.
“What, Max? Your father slept with your nanny and now you have your sibling,” she spat.
“We have a sibling that we’ve never met?” Allison almost collapsed, but Jonathan caught her. She struggled to get his hands off of her, but he held tight.
“No,” Ilene hiccupped.
“Mother?” Max said almost breathlessly.
“Oh, you’ve met your sibling.” She had the craziest cackle.
Yes, she’s lost it.
“What do you –?”
Suddenly all of their eyes flashed around the room and then back to her.
“She’s here right now.” Ilene wiped her face free of the tears soaking her cheeks. Her eyes were smudged where her makeup had run. Their eyes snapped to me.